Defining Characteristics & Inconvenient Truths

We didn’t want to call this our Manifesto or Core Values.

But we want you to really get to know us. You’re here because you want to be a better recruiter, and we can get you there. Before going any further, it’ll be helpful to understand who we are, and exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

These are our defining characteristics and our inconvenient truths. 

Practice kindness every day.

Random acts of kindness don’t need to be random, but they should be consistent. It takes listening loudly and genuinely wanting the best for others. You’ll be amazed at how it comes back to you. Everyone prefers to work with kind people. Aggressively find ways to add value unexpectedly.

Consistency is key.

In school they probably told you how cramming for a test wouldn’t help you in the long run. Getting in shape isn’t one day of eating perfectly and the fastest sprint you can manage. Practice makes perfect. The same is true in recruiting and just about everything else. 

Be a lifelong learner.

We have a massive focus on continuous improvement for ourselves and our businesses. We are constant readers, masterclass takers, researchers, and students. We have our own coaches. Better is always achievable. We know your whole life will be better if you also adopt this mindset.

Our mission to elevate.

The fact that our industry has the term “Ruse Recruiting” is simply appalling. If doctors had a technique known as Deceit Diagnosis to get you in, you’d never trust one again. In our role as coaches, we’re often asked “what should I say if” questions. What should I say if they ask why I’m calling? The answer always boils down to the truth. You’d be shocked at how well it works. Our goal is to raise the ethics and acceptable standards of behavior in the recruiting industry. 

We’re in this together.

We aren’t old school trainers teaching the same tired material. We’re headhunters who love to learn, innovate, test, refine, and teach. Tricia has owned and operated an award-winning executive search firm for half her life, and she’s 50 this year. Jason is over a decade in, with amazing results because he’s so far outside the box. This isn’t theoretical, or what used to work. We share what works and what doesn’t work as we constantly refine and improve our techniques. 

We don’t give a flying fish.

You’ve heard the saying, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for the day, teach him to fish and you’ve fed him for a lifetime.” We won’t sell you a fish. But we will happily train you in the best practices so you can replicate our results. We aren’t here to show you we can do, but to show you that you can do it. We didn’t want to be fishmongers anyway. 

Recruiting isn’t about control.

You’ll never convince a hiring manager to extend an offer or a candidate to take a job. There isn’t a perfect response to change company policy and suddenly allow the use of headhunters. Stop trying. At best you can convince a gullible person for a brief time, never to good results. That seems like a jerk thing to do. Put the deal above your ego and you’ll make more placements.

Under promise and overdeliver.

Results are paramount. We overdeliver for you so you can overdeliver to your clients. Then we feel good because you succeeded, so do you, so does your client. Everyone wins and everyone gets paid. It’s not a competition, it’s a partnership. 

Recruiting is like dating.

It’s not transactional. It isn’t just a numbers game. You have to get to know someone before you can propose anything. Right now, somewhere, someone is having the best-ever first day at work. Someone else has reached their limit and needs help getting out. With the right relationships, you can be there for both. 

We’re blinded by science.

If something is working, we love to dig in and learn why. That’s how you can duplicate your results. Likewise, if science says a new technique “should work,” you can bet your bottom dollar we’re going to see how we can incorporate it for testing. Yeah, we’re a little nerdy.

Don’t be “that guy.”

The guy who sends unwanted candidates. The guy who ghosts when there’s bad news. The guy who overpromises. The guy who won’t ask for help. The guy they tell bad recruiter stories about. The guy who gives all of us a bad name. (Gender yourself appropriately here, this is about behavior, not pronouns.)

Anything works if you work it hard enough.

You can succeed in this business with a lot of different techniques. Anyone who tells you only their method works is selling something. That said, some techniques are much more effective than others. You can clean the whole kitchen with just a toothbrush, it’s just a lot harder.

Pick your hard.

Recruiting is hard, but entry is easy, and the money can be amazing. Work is hard, but so is being poor. Going to the gym is hard, but so is being fat. Firing a bad client is hard, but so is dealing with a bad client. It may sound pessimistic, but at least you get to choose. Accept difficulties and push through.

You can only find gold if you look in the right place.

If you have the best equipment and training then go digging for gold in your back yard, you are only successful if the gold was there in the first place. Some places have no candidates, some have no jobs. Some things just can’t be found on the internet, and we should all be thankful for that.

The worst thing they can say is no.

From that awkward teenage first date to getting extra guac, if you don’t ask for something you want, the answer is no. If you do ask, the answer only might be no. And that’s the worst that will happen. They won’t rough you up or burn your business down. When someone tells us no, we agree. It isn’t meant to be right now. Call the next person.

You can do this.

Recruiting is hard. Change is hard. Life is hard. Darkness makes the light at the end of the tunnel blinding. Rain makes everything grow. Yes, life is hard. It’s supposed to be. We’re here to help.

Enthusiastic Love From Past Clients

Mike Gionta
TheRecruiterU
“You two work so well together, so entertaining. Loved your session today! I’ve been referring people to you for training since we met.”

Victoria Brahma
AIM Healthcare Recruiting
"This is by far one of the best Recruiter Training Programs in the industry! Great investment and a must for, every Recruiter, in any field!"

Jodi Mayer
Clearmont
“Love the delivery of the material. You and Jason make it entertaining and the 2 hours go by quickly. The material is innovative, and scripts have gotten me back on the phone. I like the 5 days in a row and I can see why it makes sense. Loving the class and more importantly implementing!!”